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New Government Call Center and Clearinghouse Formed

GSA # 9640

February 16, 2000
Contact: Teresa Nasif (202) 501-1794

Washington, DC -- The U.S. General Services Administration has announced the merger of the Consumer Information Center (CIC) of Pueblo, Colorado, and the Federal Information Center (FIC). The new organization, named the Federal Consumer Information Center (FCIC), combines the resources of the two formerly separate government agencies into one single federal government information call center and clearinghouse.

The merger expands citizen access to federal information by combining CIC's web site (www.pueblo.gsa.gov), and its Consumer Information Catalog and publications distribution program with the nationwide toll-free telephone assistance program of the FIC. The nationwide toll-free number is 1-800-688-9889 (TTY 1-800-326-2996). The new FCIC is now a one-stop source for answers to questions about consumer problems, government services, and vital everyday issues such as health, safety, credit, nutrition, housing and education.

Famous for its Pueblo address, the Consumer Information Center was established by President Richard Nixon in 1970 to help federal agencies and departments develop, promote and distribute consumer information to the public.

The Federal Information Center was initiated in 1966 to respond to citizen's questions about federal agencies, programs, and services as a part of President Lyndon Johnson's "war on gobbledygook."

GSA Administrator David Barram applauded the merger as exemplifying the federal government's commitment to customer service. "The FCIC will bring a new level of service to American consumers by providing streamlined access to the widest variety of federal information."